Communities Grow Together on Elevate Springfield featuring Lisa Goldberg-Belle

Summary

In this conversation, Robert Ferriell speaks with Lisa Goldberg-Belle from Women's Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois (WE-CI) about the mission of WE-CI, and the various events and opportunities available for women entrepreneurs in the community. They discuss the importance of networking, support, and showcasing women-owned businesses, as well as upcoming events like the Women's Business Showcase.

Takeaways

• Lisa Goldberg-Belle is the president of WE-CI this year.
• WE-CI aims to support women entrepreneurs and foster a sisterhood.
• The organization hosts various events to connect women in business.
• Networking is crucial for women entrepreneurs to share resources and avoid mistakes.
• The Women's Business Showcase is a key event for showcasing women-owned businesses.
• Membership in WE-CI is open to women business owners and executive directors.
• The organization has a grant program for its members to support their growth.
• WE-CI is focused on marketing and growing its community impact.
• Events include lunches, dinners, and social activities to engage members.
• The organization encourages collaboration among women entrepreneurs.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Elevate Springfield, where we'll dive into strategies and stories that help you rise to your full potential. Each episode, we'll talk about how you can take intentional steps to elevate your life and your business while making a meaningful impact on those around you. Along the way, we're gonna bring in the change makers from our community that are already elevating. We'll bring the actionable strategies, you bring the discipline and follow through, and together we can elevate Springfield. Alright, let's go, Springfield. Time to 10X your day, y'all. Time to level up, time to crush it. Hey, you are listening to the Elevate Springfield Podcast. Robert Farrell here, certified 10X coach, speaker, and mentor. Here to bring you actionable strategies. You bring the discipline and follow through it together. We're gonna Elevate Springfield. Well, you are listening to another segment of Communities Grow Together on the Elevate Springfield podcast. As you know, we drop these segments each week. The Communities Grow Together segment will touch on all things nonprofit associations and how we as a community are working together so we can all grow together. This segment is brought to you by David Hilst, American Family Insurance Agency over on West Wabash. Whatever you need insurance-wise, whether that's business, life, home, auto, or anything in between, hey, David and his team can take care of you. Give them a shout, or hey, stop by and visit them over on West Wabash. These segments are quick hits of actionable strategies and what's going on in our area to help you level up and grow together. Be right back after the break. Looking for personalized insurance with hometown care, David Hilst, American Family Insurance Agent is here to help you protect what matters most: your family, your home, and your dreams. Whether it's auto, home, life, business, David and his team are proud to serve the Springfield community with trusted advice and reliable coverage. Local service, real relationships, peace of mind. Call today or stop by their office. They can build your dream protection plan together. Call 217-726-6343. And we are back for another edition of Communities Grow Together, brought to you by David Hills, American Family Insurance. Hey, anything you need insurance-wise, personal, or commercial, give David and his team a shout, or just stop by their office over on West Wabash. In with me today, I've got Lisa Goldberg Bell from Women's Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois. Lisa, how you doing today?

SPEAKER_01 3:00

I'm great. Thank you so much for having us.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Yeah, no, it's gonna be fun. I'm excited to learn more about what you guys do and a cool upcoming event you guys have here next month. So uh excited. Yeah, very exciting. Well, first off, tell us about women entrepreneurs of Central Illinois. What's the what's the uh shorthand way of saying that? How do you guys see it?

SPEAKER_01 3:19

I say we see I.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

We see I, okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

We C I. Other people say different things, but I call it We C I, W E C I, we C I.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Gotcha. Okay. Tell us a little bit about it.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Okay, so my recollection is it started about 2005. Uh there used to be an organization called Women in Management, and it kind of split up at some point. Part of it was the National Association of Women Business Owners. Okay. And uh, we sort of went in two different directions. I went with the women entrepreneurs version of that uh and met a lot of people along the way. Uh, and I'm really committed to the idea that women entrepreneurs have a lot to share with each other. They have a lot to share with the community, uh, and they have a great impact on their families and the communities they live in.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

So you're an entrepreneur yourself. I guess so. Yep. But before we get more into that, tell us a little bit about your business.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

My previous career was in higher education. And at one point, I was like, okay, my husband and I are working 60 hours a week. We're eating a lot of chicken McNuggets. And it was, I had children three and seven, and it was time to just go back to the household, cook, you know, shuffle the kids around. Just as I started to do that, I got offered an opportunity by some entrepreneurs in Galesburg, Illinois, who needed someone to do gift basketing for their product. One was in a health food store, one was in a wine store that was making wine from juices. And so I was like, yeah, I could do that. I I had a business already that was actually in uh cross-cultural diversity training, but I couldn't quite get that going. And so I was like, well, I got this business. Oh, and I, you know, I have a little time now that the kids are in daycare or whatever. Uh yeah, I can help you out with that. So I started down that road and I got to a point very quickly, I had a competitor and I'm very competitive. And so I was like, okay, I got to learn more about this. So I went full head into that. And then a year later, I bought a balloon business actually from a Christian bookstore in Galesburg, Illinois. So I've been in my uh corporate gifting business for about 31 years now. Oh, wow. I've been in a balloon business for 30 years. So the other thing I do is after that big recession of 2008, uh I decided I needed a business-to-business product line, and I went into promotional products. What I discovered there about a year later was that my father, who had been a sign painter in New York City, I was the last kid in the household, grew up in the sign shop. He was a hand lettering guide, no screen printing for us. Everything was hand done. But I grew up in that business and learned a lot about layout and about lettering and sizing and all of that. And I was in promotional products and I was like, oh, okay, this is just a sign business. It's just on a pen or a magnet. It's just tiny. So I'm very comfortable in the promo business. Uh like the puzzle of that, trying to find the best deal, the best product at the best price. But I've been in women entrepreneurs since its inception.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

That's awesome. Now that hand lettering is really cool. I've talked to Dennis Brangett here from Ace Sign Company about all the years that he did that and everything. It's just awesome.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

That's how they started also as a hand lettering sign guy. Yeah, they're they're uh they're not easy to find anymore. It's like a lost art.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Yeah, and no doubt about it. So we see I, you're the president of it right now.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

I am, I'm the president this year.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

So is there a typical leadership structure within the organization of like other associations around?

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Oh, definitely. Rebecca Falk from Mood Gardeners, she's our vice president. Monica Zanetti from uh Wild Rose is our immediate past president. We have Kylie Miller, who is doing Medicare insurance with American Republic. She's our program's chair. And then we have Megan and Tabitha Bach. Megan Johnson, Tabitha Bach, they're our membership chairs. So, yes, we have a big structure. We do have, you know, meetings, Robert's Rules of Order, Mary Joe Davies is our secretary. Sure. Uh let's say, oh, and Debbie Ringer, who used to be my accountant with Kerberg and Breckel, she's our treasurer. I must have forgotten somebody along the way, but I apologize if I did. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

So so throughout the year, you guys have a number of different events. What do you guys do throughout the year?

SPEAKER_01 7:43

So we try to alternate between lunches and dinners. Uh, we are looking at trying to do more pop-ups, more social activities, and more fun things in the evening. Uh we're trying to meet the needs of women who work full-time but have maybe a side business, would really like to transition to their side business. So we have lunch speakers, some of which are from the organization because we know that women, entrepreneurs, have a lot of skill, they have a lot of experience, they have a lot to share. But we also invite other speakers from outside of the group. So last this last month, March, we had Abby Powell from Sangamon, Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that was that was excellent. Gave us a lot of information about new things happening in Springfield and what they hope to achieve here. Uh, and hopefully women can play a you know a big part in all of that. So then in the evenings, uh, we did have a like meetup and POWs, and we're looking at trying to do a fashion show in June. Uh we have awards ceremonies, we have our own award ceremony uh um on different uh um aspects of being a woman warrior. So we do a lot of different things, but the showcase, women's business showcase, this is our sixth annual. We started in 2019, took a break off for 2020, obviously. And then uh we've been 19, 21, 22, 23, 24. This is our sixth, 25. So we started very small in Aaron's Pavilion, but we kept growing, and then we got to the point where we outgrew that space. So we are at the Crown Plaza of the last two years. I think this is our third year there. But we've we grew to about 72 exhibitors and vendors.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

That's a good size.

SPEAKER_01 9:35

It was a good size, yeah. And uh the exhibitors do have to pay for their booth. It's a 10 by 10 space, it's an eight-foot table, so it's a little longer. Uh, it's a great space. There's lots of space to walk around, and then it's open to the public for free. So we do have a swag bag, uh, we have sponsors, but Heartland Credit Union has been our number one sponsor for a number of years, and we are greatly indebted to them for that. We really appreciate that. Uh, but Stephanie McDonald from Emerson Press and Lisa Goldberg Bell from It's a Wrap Gifts and Promotions, uh, Deb Sarseny, the real estate team, we have lots of great sponsors.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

Do you have to be a member of WeCI to be a vendor?

SPEAKER_01 10:15

No, you do not. There is a price differential. We would love to have those women who have their side businesses, or maybe it is their full-time business, in retail or services. We'd love to have them join Wii CI.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Yeah. So, what might people see when they're out there of those 72 vendors? What are some of the things that are out there?

SPEAKER_01 10:33

It's runs the gamut. We've had everything from yoga and puppies and people who are in services. We have a lot of women who do real estate insurance. We have retailers who uh bring their wares. We've had people doing uh candles and crafts and uh we've had some not-for-profits over the years. We've had wouldn't it be lovely? We've had Synergy who have been represented. So it's a wide range of women business owners. And what's really great about that is that that the average attendee has the opportunity to explore all the things that women do. They may not need that service or that retail business right now, but it's an opportunity to take a business card or a swag item and put it in your kitchen drawer when you need it.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Right. Well, I think the the title of it, the name, the showcase, kind of says it all. You're showcasing women entrepreneurs, right?

SPEAKER_01 11:34

So we actually we went through a variety of names and we came up with showcase for that very reason because we don't necessarily think of it as a marketplace, although there are people who will sell stuff at this event, but we do see it as an opportunity for women just showcase everything they do.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Love it. You find that a lot of your members that are part of WeCI are in that transition phase. You talked about maybe having a side business but trying to get it to their full-time business. Do you have a lot of those?

SPEAKER_01 12:01

We do have some people like that who are who are carrying full-time jobs, but really working towards independence and economic freedom and one day dream to have, you know, be able to go into their perhaps side business fully. But then we do have women who that's all they do. I mean, they are just employed, making a living for themselves and their families in the com in the community, doing real estate or insurance.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Right. Well, I think that'd be a really good mix because those folks that are trying to go full-time into their side gig could learn a lot from the folks that have already done it. So you could have kind of a mentor-mentee relationship part of the group, I would imagine.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

That's exactly correct. So women don't maybe have the same kind of networks that men have had traditionally. Women have more of that network amongst themselves than they used to. But men seem to have had those connections where they could share financial information, how to get a loan when you really need it, or how to work the system like legally. Women perhaps have, I think, tend to do things themselves. They they buckle down, they get serious about what they're doing, and maybe they don't, they don't may not have the time to actually reach out to other people because they sometimes have families at home, they got small children or grandchildren. And so they're very busy people, women. And so this organization, what we'd like to create is a sisterhood of women entrepreneurs who could be that network for them, who can share information. The other thing I think women may not do is they may not express their concerns about how to get something done. And so we make a lot of mistakes because we're kind of hunkered down in our corners. We might make a lot of mistakes. But if we have the opportunity to network with other people, there's an opportunity to avoid the mistakes that drag you down, take too much time to recover from, perhaps. So that's what we're trying to achieve. We have three goals this year marketing ourselves to try to grow our organization, our programming, using our resources from within and also those that are important to us from without and then networking.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

So how can folks get involved in WECI?

SPEAKER_01 14:16

That's super easy. Uh you do need to be a women business owner or an executive director of an organization. Okay. So a lot of things that women do is they have foundations or they have organizations, they're supporting causes, et cetera. Sure. So if you're an executive director of an organization like that, you're welcome to join us as well. Our website is we c i Springfield. So it's W E C I Springfield.org. All the information for membership is there. In addition to which there's a tab for sponsors for the showcase. We'd love to have as many people as we can sponsor, and also how to sign up for an exhibit table.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Sure. What's the cost to be a member for a year?

SPEAKER_01 15:02

It's$99.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

Very, very reasonable then.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Very reasonable. Booth for members is$99. I and then the uh the space for non-members is$149.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

Gotcha. Okay. I'd like to pop back to you mentioned you might have a uh fashion show in June. What might that look like? Are you going to use like some of your members in there that have like boutiques or something?

SPEAKER_01 15:26

Exactly. That's that's the goal. Uh, to do something fun, doing it in the evening. We are trying to nail down space right now. We we do have a couple of members who do have real uh retail businesses. Inspira is one of them, and Shayna Gibbons Keeley is one of those. So, yes, in fact, I have. These are both from Shayna's business. Oh, they are I love Shayna's business. It's hard for women to buy clothes in this town because all the main stores are closed or gone out of business. So boutiques are very important part of what we, you know, what we have in Springfield.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Yeah. No, we were just down at uh my wife and I were down at District 23 yesterday.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Exactly. And I did talk to them also about we'd love to have you join. You're just the right person we're looking for. Yes. In fact, we had a local first Springfield.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

We did a few months back around the holidays. Yeah. It was good.

SPEAKER_01 16:17

I came in and yes, I didn't have a lot of time to look around. I was going to a We CI event afterwards. Michelle has a lovely store there.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Oh, yeah, absolutely. So some of those topics for your uh lunches and dinners, you say bring in some speakers. What are some of the other topics that you might discuss there?

SPEAKER_01 16:32

So April is the showcase. It's in the evening. By the way, doors open to the public at 4:30 to 7. We are having for exhibitors, we would like to have them there by 3:30 set up to go because we will have our own networking event at 3:30 to 4:30. So that's May. Deb Sarseny with the real estate team is talking about trends and real estate in the city of Springfield. Good. Yeah. And then in June, we hope to have this fashion show. Yes. Uh now we're looking at we're still looking for spaces, but we're starting to get a format together. Maybe if we could work this out, I'm thinking we could have a cook-off, like have a couple of teams. Yeah, it would be really fun. And have the fashion in between the the uh courses as the entertainment. Yeah, I think that could be really fun. So there's a few of us who like to cook. So maybe I can convince us to do this food thing. Gotta find the right space and all of that. In August, we have hopefully at Island Bay, we'll have our award ceremony. And then we're back to a lunch on September 9th. And then in November, we have an auction, uh, usually a new member drive auction. One of the benefits of being a member of WECI is that we have a grant program. It's named after women who have passed away in the community who but who were very instrumental in being leaders amongst women business owners. And so we give away$500 for it's either education or if you need technology. So if you've been a member for a year, you can apply for that grant. It's a great opportunity. One year I went to a balloon convention with uh$500, which really helps a lot. No doubt about it. Yeah. Absolutely. Whether that's transportation or it's the fee for the event or whatever. So part of the hotel costs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

I mean,$500 early on in a business can be can be a big deal for to be able to go to a conference or buy a piece of equipment or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And even if you're an experienced entrepreneur, still things are always changing. You have to stay on top of everything. Right. Yes. And then in December, we're thinking about having more of a meetup at a smaller location in the evening.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

Love it. So many great things for women entrepreneurs right here in central Illinois. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So give us all the details one more time about the showcase. Dates, times, all the all the stuff.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

All right. So women's sixth annual women's business showcase. It is at the Crown Plaza Hotel on Thursday, April 16th. Attendees, it's free and open to the public. First 200 people will get a swag bag that is from 4:30 to 7. From exhibitors, we ask that you're there at 3 30 so we can have a networking opportunity amongst ourselves from 3 30 to 4 30, and we open to the public.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Love it. Get on out there, Springfield.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

And it's weci springfield.org. That's how to sign up.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

There you go. Lisa, I'd like to ask this of all my guests that pop in. Is there anything we can do community-wide to help all of us here elevate Springfield and the surrounding communities?

SPEAKER_01 19:43

You know, there's a lot happening in Springfield that elevates Springfield. There's a lot of networking groups. There's so many organizations that help us get together and give us opportunities to be optimistic and about what's going on here. Right now, I've been spending some energy with the Central Illinois Customer Service Association. They have brought some amazing speakers to Springfield, very inspiring. So I'm hoping to wear my badger t-shirt today.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

There you go.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Hoping they're going to win. And I plan to go to the motorheads tonight.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

Yeah, I'm heading out there as well.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

Yeah. Who are you rooting for?

SPEAKER_00 20:22

You know what? I really don't have a team that I'm rooting for. I'm just going to go watch some good basketball, I guess. I guess if I'm going to root for anybody, maybe I'll root for Illinois.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

Oh, okay. Right. Yes. Of course, we're we're totally badgers. I do have a daughter who went to the University of Illinois at Champaign, Urbana, and she was a fighting allian eye. And I said to my husband when she first started to go there, I was like, well, who are we going to root for? And he said to me, Well, the Badgers, of course. So he went to her first Father Day football game. He wore very subtly a red sweatshirt with no markings on it and sat in the orange section.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

Ah, there you go. There you go. Fun stuff.

SPEAKER_01 21:05

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 21:05

All right. Well, Lisa, appreciate you stopping by and telling us all about WeCI.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Well, thank you so much for having us. Uh, we're really trying to get the word out. This was a great opportunity. Really do appreciate you.

SPEAKER_00 21:16

Absolutely. Get to that showcase, Springfield. Well, we're going to let Lisa get back to elevating Springfield, but for the rest of y'all, we'll be right back. Hey, Springfield, when it comes to reliable, high-quality roofing, you don't want to leave things to chance. That's why you should reach out to Acosta Angeli Roofing, your local roofing expert serving Springfield and surrounding communities, from quick, dependable repairs to full replacement, from residential to commercial. They are your trusted pros. Call them today at 217 993 2748 or visit their website to book your free quote and inspection. Don't wait. A little leak now could lead to major damage later. Trust the local experts, protect your home, and get peace of mind with Acosta Angeli Roofing. Well, thank you for joining us today, everybody, on another segment of Communities Grow Together on the Elevate Springfield Podcast. Thank you again to David Hilst, American Family Insurance Agency, for partnering with us on this segment. A take what you learn today. You bring the discipline and follow through. And together, that's right, y'all. We're going to Elevate Springfield. Be great. Looking for expert tree care with hometown integrity? Look no further than Sangamon Tree Service. They're your trusted local pros, delivering quality workmanship, exceptional customer service, and fair, honest pricing. Every time. Whether it's trimming, removal, or storm cleanup, their team brings professionalism and care to every job, big or small. Call the name your neighbors trust, Sangman Tree Service, or visit them today at SangmanTreeService.com. Sangman Tree Service, rooted in quality, built on trust.